Fly Me to Neverland
by Elijah Blackwood
Summary: Peter X mOC & Hook X fOC} Peter is tired of being rejected, but can't help to go against his own vow. He brings to Neverland, twins Asher and Alanna, reuniting with his old rival, Hook. A new family is formed, but will it crumble against the pressure?
1. Prologue

_"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it."_

* * *

On a cold winter night, Peter shivered outside the closed window. "Jane? Wendy? Anyone?" He knocked on the windows but no one came. Then, it began to pour, rain soaking poor Peter Pan to the bone. "Open the window, it's Peter!" He yelled, banging his fists against the glass. Eventually a small girl no older than ten opened the window. "Hello?" She asked, looking quizzically at Peter, "Why are you flying?" Peter smiled, "May I come in?" The girl nodded, and he flew inside, and she handed him a towel. He dried off, "I fly because it's faster."

"Compared to what?" she smiled, "Walking." he responded, looking off into the distance. She nodded and he looked around. "Where is Jane and Wendy?" "Momma and Grandmother? They're next door. " He takes this into account, "Come with me, you will never grow up and never have to worry." She nods, like the impressionable child she'd always been, following. He gets her started and they get to the back yard while flying when Jane yells out the window, "You get back here right now!"

Doubt ran through the girl. What if momma grounded her for this nonsense? She must be dreaming. As soon as she finishes her thought, she crashes with a large crunching of bones. Her neck broken. Jane and Wendy rush to the girl. "Peter, you bastard! How dare you! Come back here again, see any of my family again and I'll kill you!" Jane spat with fury. Wendy watched Peter hatefully as he flew away. Girls. Who needs 'em.

He stayed in Neverland for many human years, not returning due to guilt, then he decided to fly somewhere else. Anywhere that had stories with a happy ending. Peter was determined to find it. He searched all of England at one point, but soon gave up and returned to Neverland. It was years before he'd try again.

He flew from Neverland and just kept going, eventually he saw large, bustling cities beside vast countryside. It was beautiful, something he had never seen in London. Small flickering lights scattered around the land. He remembered seeing a sign, or some such, close to the coast. It read: Welcome to the United States of America.

He found a barn and slept in the hay piled in a corner. When he awoke, a man was watching him from a distance. "Hey." He said with a small smile. This confused Peter, "Yes, I know this is hay, sir." The man laughed hard, the wrinkles on his face crinkling. He reminded Peter of a man he'd seen in England once, then he remembered. If you took away the smile, he looked exactly like Mr. Darling, Wendy's father, when Jane was a child.

"If you want to get up from there you can take a bath and change your clothes from those strange ones you have there." the man said, trying to withhold his laughter. Peter, intrigued by this man, nodded and followed him inside the small farmhouse. Twenty minutes later, he walked out in a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. The man smiled sadly, "You look just like my son did when he was young..." "What happened to him?" The man took a deep breath and frowned, "He died, in a war with the Koreans." Peter didn't know of Koreans, "What is the date?" The man rubbed his chin in thought, "March 29th, 1967."

Peter had been away for much longer than he thought. "I'm sorry," Peter pleaded. "You were so kind to me but I must be going. Peter put his hand on the doorknob when the man set a hand on his shoulder. "Don't run away from your problems, go home and face them head-on." Peter began to pick up that the man had an accent. What, he didn't know, but he no longer really cared."Never." he responded, running into a nearby forest. Once he got deep enough, the sounds of being followed by the man ceased, he was alone now.

When the moon and stars burned holes in the sky, Peter returned home. To the second star on the right. Where he belonged. But not soon after, he became curious again. He vowed to no longer attempt to bring anyone to Neverland, but he still wanted to watch from the windows. To see the one thing he never had the joy of remembering. A family.

Many windows were shut. Many windows were locked. Some were incapable of opening. This did not deter Peter. He was ready to hear the stories. He peeked in windows, watching movies with sleeping children, or adults, that had their window open. He finally had the ability to see the stories, as well as hear them. This brought a great joy to Peter.

Then, he found a window that was always open. A window that always played beautiful music, singing emitting from the window, a beautiful noise. A window that sometimes told stories of good memories and things yet to come. They were beautiful stories, Peter thought, but they make one want to sob. He visited every night, without fail, but stayed beside the window. He did not want to risk being seen.

They always kept up with days on the calendar X-ing them off. Then, once, when they were asleep, he hovered in and looked at the date: January 15th, 199- Peter frowned, unable to read the last number, for it was drawn over with the reminder to 'get new strings for guitar!' Peter sighed, he knew enough. He looked at the children, buried under their covers.

You could only see their outline under the sheets; the boy's foot sticking out from under his and the girl's arm from under hers. The arm and foot twitched, Peter realized they could wake and see him at any moment. Although leaving the house that night in a hurry, he visited the house every night thereafter. But, once, they saw him too.


	2. Chapter 1

_"All children, except one, grow up."_

* * *

I hover outside the girl's window as she sleeps soundly on her bed, by a boy who I assume is her older brother. They are both in small beds a few feet apart, the darkness only lit with the light of a small candelabra on the wall. A small calendar on her wall has a picture of a crow, seeming to cloud the sunlight, October written under the picture. The year was long after the days of Jane and Wendy, them already having died many years ago, I felt no sorrow for them. Although, I did miss the stories. A loud voice broke my thoughts, making me fly/lunge backwards into a nearby tree as I watched the scene unfold.

A woman with sunken, brown eyes and brown, straw-like hair walks into the room, waking the two teenagers with her screaming voice and door-slamming. "Bastard children! Wake up you fucking ingrates!" In her hand is a bottle of Scotch and she sways, as if the world is tilting itself. The older brother sits in front of his sister on her bed, blocking the woman from her view. I have a feeling he is the only person ever protective of his baby sister.

"You're drunk again, go to sleep, mother!" he says to her, backing up once for every step she gets closer to them. The boy has black hair and blue eyes, he looks taller than me- around six foot. The girl is about my height, from the looks of it, with whitish-blond hair that glistened in the moonlight, her eyes the same color as her brother's. The exact shade of sapphire, so clear that you can see them easily from my spot in the tree.

I watch as his mom punches him in the stomach and he holds strong, not letting her touch his sister. After a couple of minutes, she leaves and the younger of the two tends to her brother's wounds. He takes off his shirt and large bruises start to form red blotches all over his chest and stomach that cover old ones, and many scars of blade cuts. I fly out of the tree and stand in the window, watching, they do not notice me since they are preoccupied. She looks up suddenly and sees me. My eyes widen and I bolt away. They had not seen me prior to now. If only I'd stayed hidden!

She comes to the window and opens it, looking directly at me. "What are you doing out there, it's cold, come inside." I float in and neither her or her brother look shocked. "Who are you?" The brother asks, pulling on a shirt that fits snugly against his chest, his baggy pants with 'Metallica' plastered all over it. Apparently, it's a band because there's a poster of it on the wall. "I am Peter Pan." I say proudly, landing on the cement floor. "I'm Asher, and this is Alanna, my little sister." I bowed, and they watched, "You saw what happened, didn't you?" the boy ask bluntly and I nodded. "I did, and seeing such has brought me to a decision."

The girl spoke quietly, "A decision? What decision?" I smiled, "Whether or not you go with me, of course! Although, the decision depends on three things." I hold up my ring, middle, and index fingers. "First, you have to be able to leave this life behind and never, ever see it again. Second, you have to want to live forever. Third, and this one is important, you'll never grow up." They seemed to mull it over and share a glance. "Will our mother know where we are, wherever we're going?" Alanna asks. I shake my head, "She wouldn't be able to find it, it's quite impossible." She nods, "Then I want to go. Asher?" He nods, "Me too."

I take the small pouch at my side and sprinkle the glittering, gold pixie dust on them. "Think happy thoughts." I whisper with a smile. They lifted off the ground instantly, talk about fast learners. I fly out the window and they follow, the apartments and suburbs of Pennsylvania start to disappear, the higher we fly. We fly quickly into the star, memories flashing around the tubular path, most of their memories sadden me. We all end up staring ahead until Baltimore is eons away.

In case if you were wondering why I watch houses in the States now, it's because of Wendy's daughter- Jane- told me when her daughter was born that if I ever came near her or one of her descendants, I'd be reported and killed. She was bitter when she found out I used to like her mother. She said it was 'cruel'. Whatever, though, it was a fleeting feeling. That love for them.

I look at them flying beside me, the girl smiling uncontrollably and the boy's face emotionless, unreadable. Almost stoic. We get to Neverland, the land now full of life as the snow melts away, happy I have arrived. An minute there was a week here, where there was no real time, since it never stopped. I see the remains of the Jolly Roger haunting the depths of the ocean. We fly to my house and I let them down the slide entrance, following after them. They see the remains of the boys' beds but say nothing, they only pick one and each lay down. I get in my bed and I hear them as they sleep, the girl snoring softly while the boy breathes quietly through his mouth. The next morning would be better, I knew, because I wasn't going to be alone anymore.

The thought made me smile. No more crying. No more loneliness. No more wishing I had stayed with Wendy, like she'd offered. No more hating myself for hating men, and never wanting to become one.

I stared at the ceiling and wondered, pondering all the things I had never really thought over. What will happen if they want to return? What if they want to move away from me, because I am too 'childish'? These thoughts swim through my head and I feel like crying. But then I look over at them, sleeping soundly on their sides, Alanna facing the wall. I watch Asher for a few seconds as he smiles in his sleep. My thoughts turn bright. Well, even if they do leave... they're here now, aren't they? I should make the best of it.


	3. Chapter 2

_"The difference between him and the other boys at such a time was that they knew it was make-believe, while to him, make-believe and true were exactly the same thing."_

* * *

I wake up the next morning, well-rested, stretching as I got out of bed. The girl was still asleep, the boy nowhere in sight, his bed made. I took a minute to watch the girl, she breathed slowly, her long hair tied in a thick braid that reached her ankles. The hem of her long nightgown fell off the edge of the bed, and I couldn't help but relate it to a story I heard Jane tell once (who, unlike her mother, always stayed true to the original story, not adding gunfights and the like for pure excitement). The story of Snow White and her glass casket. I looked at Alanna and whispered, softly, before leaving. "I'll be back soon, Alanna."

I walked over to the exit and stood out in the dark, walking towards the cliff a little ways away. The ragged rocks making up the cliff seemed to want to challenge anyone who came near. I looked to my left and watched the waterfall shoot over the edge and into the sea. It was majestic but simple. It was a wonderful thing.

The horizon was lit up with the sun, as it began to rise slowly. I sat on the edge as my feet swung back and forth over the edge. The breeze blew lightly through my curly, blond hair and the wind tickled the shell of my ear, making a small whoosh sound. These were the moments that I felt on top of the world, when flying or being the king of Neverland was no longer important. I loved it. I heard someone walk towards me and sit down.

"Where did you go?" I ask, not looking at him as we both hang our legs over the cliff, watching the sunrise. "I climbed a tree and fell asleep in it." I smiled, the boy was quite a character. "I have to get you and your sister clothes for Neverland in-habitation." We stay quiet for a while, pink beginning to poke out above the sea, waves crashing against the shore.

"Why did the snow melt when we arrived?" Asher said absentmindedly, running his fingers through his hair, as if combing it. "This place.. it lives according to my emotions." I say dreamily, not really paying much attention to it before. It made sense. "That would bring up the question... Why is this world revolving around you, and only you?" Asher asked calmly. I looked over at him.

"That's a question I could never answer, I'm afraid. The only person who may know is Tinkerbell, but she and I aren't on good terms right now. " I say quietly, staring back out at sea. "Who is Tinkerbell?" he asks curiously. "My fairy. Well, used to be my fairy, anyway." I answer, as the sun turns the horizon red on top of the pink. "Well, I guess we will never know, then." he laughs, his eyes scanning the waters. I don't think I'll ever get used to the phrase, We.

The sun burns orange and the colors blend together to where I can no longer distinguish each shade. "Is it always this beautiful?" he says with a smile, his eyes flickering all over, absorbing the scenery. "Actually, yeah, but it didn't always." I say hoarsely, memories suddenly rising to the surface of my mind.

_**XxXx Flashback xXxX**_

I walk morosely around the woods of Neverland, thinking about everything after meeting the Darling lineage. And the two girls that forever broke my heart. I skirt along a small river, the scenes playing in my mind over and over. Every face flashing in the rippled water. I sit on the ledge with the cold water rising to my knees, creating a numbing effect on my legs. I stare into my reflection, my face fading away as my memories take hold.

"I'll get you for this, Pan, if it's the last thing that I do!" "Old! Alone! Done For!" "He cannot love! He is just a boy!" "Hello, Peter!" "Boy, why are you crying?" "And I especially don't believe in fairies!" "You are deficient." "Give up, Boy!" "Playtime is over!" "She's leaving you, Pan." The voices scratch my mental ear, hearing their voices as I see they're expressions. Malice, Excitement, Envy, Pride, Frustration, Irritation, Disappointment, Persistence, Amusement, Curiosity.

I clench my head, digging the heel of my palms into my temples, begging the pain to drown out the memories. It doesn't. I watch as Hook gets eaten by the crocodile, but manages to escape. Many moons later, he is alive and our amusing rivalry started again. Then I saw the Kraken, as it ate him too. He must have survived. I miss the days before the Darlings. Before I felt this hollowness in my chest. Why can't I just be a kid? Happy and without a care in the world? Why...?

_**xXxXxXxXxXx**_

I must have zoned out because we share a pleasant silence. Neither one of us speaks as the final yellow rises, the sun high in the sky. "Let's head back." he says softly, standing. "Good idea," I whisper, standing beside him as we walk back. "How old are you, exactly?" he asks curiously, smiling playfully. A smile I thought I'd never see on such a older boy, a childish grin.

"I'm not sure, somewhere around your sister's age." "So, fifteen." I nod slowly, "Sounds about right." We exchange a smile and continue walking, as we reach the house, no sign of Alanna's awaking are seen. We go in and he wakes her up, as he shakes her carefully.

"Want a tour?" I ask curiously and she nods. "I'll go on my own." Asher says confidentiality, his smile gone. I hand him a long dagger. "Just in case." he nods curtly and leaves, walking in the opposite direction Alanna and I fly in. I show her everything I showed Wendy and Jane, everything except the Dark Caverns. Even Wendy didn't know of them, no one dared to tell her. It was the former lair of none other than Hook, himself.


	4. Chapter 3

_"Stars are beautiful, but they may not take part in anything, they must just look on forever."_

* * *

**_Alanna's POV_**

Peter picked out clothes for my brother and I, that the fairies made for us, me with a white dress that reached to mid-thigh with zig-zag trimming on the bottom with shorts under it. My dress felt like it was made with thread from a spiderweb, it was light and very comfortable. My brother got something like the hoodie he had at home, except it was black and was sleeveless, with tight black pants, made with a different material than mine, a lot thicker and heavier. According to my brother, though, it was wonderful.

Afterwards Peter told me I could walk around, since he wanted to show my brother something about how to find the best adventure spots. Adventures weren't really my style, I told him. He frowned, then nodded in understanding. "You can go walk around the island, just be careful." Then I vaguely remember him mentioning something about "The Wastelands". Whatever that was. I look up and notice, at this point on, the earth is barren and lifeless. I look up and see some kind of cave system that connects directly to the water. The mouth of the cave resembles a skull. I feel drawn in, and before I know it, I'm getting closer and closer to it.

I walk closer to the cavern, a dark aura emanating from the grounds, the sun seeming to be shrouded with storm clouds as I approach. I enter and a small hole in the ceiling casts a circular ray of light to hit a flat-topped boulder in the center of the cave. The water engulfs the surrounding area except for the boulder and a long, narrow, natural rock-bridge leading to it. Upon closer inspection, I see man lying there, asleep. I approach quietly, I didn't know there was any other humans here. I stand a few feet away, the person in full view.

His long hair reached halfway down his back, waves of black sprawled around his head like a kind of halo. His skin is lightly tanned, like the color of khaki, and all of his features soft. He looked to be in his early twenties, but had no stubble of any kind. I moved closer, he was skinny but not muscular. I look at his fingers, long and thin. I called them Corpse Bride fingers because they were long and bony but the perfect size for playing the little black keys on piano with ease.

The man's eyes flash open, and I realize they are hazel, but unlike mine, they are much more piercing. "Who are you, girl, and why are you here?" he asked, leaning up as the blanket fell around his waist, exposing his bare chest. It was very scarred by many blade and gunshot wounds. I tried to ignore it, so I didn't cringe.

"My name is Alanna," I say, right before being interrupted. "Pan brought you." he says more as a statement than a question. "Yeah, how did you know?" He laughs coldly, "He is the only 'native' to have the ability to fly between the stars." His voice has a jealous edge to the poetic words.

"As to why I'm here," I said awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "Peter swept my twin and I away from our mother." I shift from foot to foot. Reminding myself to breathe. Sometimes, I forget.

He seems to find this amusing. He stands and puts on a white, baggy, kind of shirt (one I'd only seen in pirate movies) over his black pants that were like slacks, but casual. "Why did he take you away? Did you not get enough toys on Christmas as a child?" he laughs. I almost want to punch that pretty face of his.

"I was abused, so was my brother." He stops and regards me with a solemn smile, he moves closer and I notice he's about 6 foot 6, hovering over me as my face is in line with his chest. His eyes know centuries of aches, I can tell by the way his eyes soften. He hugs me in a friendly manner, one arm around my neck. That arm rests on my shoulder, clenching it reassuringly, like relatives did when my dad died. "My condolences." he says softly. I shake my head, "Everything is alright now, thanks to Peter." His eyes flicker red for a split second.

"Is he a touchy subject?" I ask, going against my better judgement. "Very much so." he says flatly, apathetically. My big mouth opens again, "May I know why?" He seems to think it over and smiled genuinely at me, his lips curling up at the ends. "Sure, Alanna, but how should I begin?" I laugh, "How about the abridged version?" He laughs, "Alright, then."

_**xXxX Flashback, 3rd person XxXx**_

The pirate, Hook, had just been fed to a crocodile but was not dead. After a few minutes of irritated and agitated screams, the crocodile released him and he swam away. Hook was very aware of the strangeness of the action just committed by the crocodile, but he chose to ignore it.

He swam away to the Jolly Roger, and was met on deck with a towel. "Glad to have you back, Captain!" Smee said jovially, cleaning his glasses on his shirt as a man with a stubbled beard handed Hook a white towel. "Glad to be in the presence of my crew of imbeciles, Mr. Smee." he said shortly, wiping his face into the towel and throwing it at Smee.

"I'm going into my cabin, do not disturb me, you swine!" He slammed the door behind him and sat at his piano, staring forlornly at his hook. He began playing a solemn tune, humming along to the old song.

**_"Oh the summertime is coming_**

**_And the trees are sweetly blooming_**

**_And the wild mountain thyme_**

**_Grows around the blooming heather_**

**_Will ye go, Lassie go?_**

**_And we'll all go together_**

**_To pluck wild mountain thyme_**

**_All around the blooming heather_**

**_Will ye go, Lassie go?_**

**_I will build my love a tower_**

**_Near yon' pure crystal fountain_**

**_And on it I will build_**

**_All the flowers of the mountain_**

**_Will ye go, Lassie go?_**

**_And we'll all go together_**

**_To pluck wild mountain thyme_**

**_All around the blooming heather_**

**_Will ye go, Lassie go?_**

**_If my true love she were gone_**

**_I would surely find another_**

**_Where wild mountain thyme_**

**_Grows around the blooming heather_**

**_Will ye go, Lassie go?"_**

He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the piano. Hoping, praying the tears would go away. They didn't.

His next fatal encounter was with a large octopus, a Kraken, who swallowed him whole. He set Hook aside, just like the crocodile, and put him on the beach. Hook watched with awe, "Why? First the crocodile, now you?" The octopus disappeared into the water and, seconds later, a celestial being rose out of the water. It was all white and partially transparent. "Hello, James." a small voice seemed to whisper in his mind. "Is that you?!" Hook asked confusedly, as the being nodded.

"Yes. It is me. Now, as for why I spared you both times, there was a reason." Hook cursed in his mind, why did this thing care? "Now, it's not polite to call me a 'thing'." Hook was aghast, "What are you, then?" The being smiled, a face that embodied both male and female spirit. "I am a Judge. In this case, I am the Judge of Justice." The being's wings twitched excitedly as it sat on the beach, beside Hook. "I am Rune, and I will bestow a great gift upon you, James Bartholomew Hook. The gift of eternal youth."

Hook frowned, he had eternal life by being in Neverland. So how could one establish eternal youth, upon entering Neverland as an older man? Rune seemed to hear the doubts and smiled, small dimples rising to their face. "I will turn back time, metaphorically speaking, so you will be young again." Hook was still unconvinced. "So, at any time in my youth I choose, you will allow me to become that age in Neverland, forever?" The Judge nodded, "On one condition." Hook silenced his breathing, was this Rune serious? "You must never try to harm Peter Pan again. He is the day and night of this land. You know this, you are jealous of this, stop going after Peter."

Hook took a deep breath, "And if I agree?" A thought flitted through his mind, "I would never really harm Peter, deep down he is like a brother or son to me. A friendly competition." The pixie-like being smiled, "Then, it is done. You will no longer be the aging man that you are. You will be eternally young." Hook nodded, "I agree. I will no longer pick quarrels with Peter." The being disappeared in a cloud of grey. Hook felt cheated.

"Then it is done." echoed in his mind as he looked in the water. He was himself again! Well, rather, himself when he was 19. He smiled, Oh, how he missed his youth. He understood Peter now. And how he hated himself for the way he had acted. He went to the cave where he and Peter used to battle and laid on a rock in the center.

Now, to create a new life for himself.

**_XxXx /End of Flashback\ xXxX_**

I smiled, "What a wonderful story, Hook." He shows me his hands, "I have no hook anymore, just call me James." He smiles again, a soft, dimpled smile. I laugh, "Okay... Um, James?" I ask. "Hm?" he looks at me, his arm no longer around my shoulder. We are sitting cross-legged, facing each other and he leans forward slightly, to hear me better.

"Come with me, to the house. I want you to have a talk to Peter." He frowns, but nods. "I would have to eventually. I should now." We stand and he walks with me as I lead him to the tree-house. "I'm home!" I announce, as I go down the ladder. "And I brought a friend!" I say with a smile as Hook- er, James, stands beside me, his head several inches from hitting the ceiling. Peter looks at James with wide eyes, "Who is he, and why did you bring him here?!" James smiles a half-smile, "Nice to see you too, Pan. At least you didn't call me a Codfish this time." His eyes seem to flicker in surprise, "Hook?!"


	5. Chapter 4

_"...as soon as he got inside his tree, he breathed intentionally quick short breaths at the rate of about five to a second. He did this because there is a saying in the Neverland, that everytime you breathe, a grown-up dies; and Peter was killing them off vindictively as fast as possible."_

* * *

_**Peter's POV**_

"I say, who else would I be, boy?" he smiled, eyeing me cautiously. _I hated him._ I began to breathe quickly, inhaling large amounts of air. _Maybe the codfish would drop dead, if I was lucky._ "Hook. We need to talk." I say angrily. "Precisely why I came here, Peter. Now, let's go talk in private, shall we?" he asks, gesturing to the land above. I nod, "Glad we're on the same page." We walked to a small grove nearby and I sit on a moss-covered rock as he watches me awkwardly. "Speak." I say petulantly, my hands on my knees, leaning forward in irritation as he sits slowly on a stump across from me.

He tells me a story. I've always liked stories, stories with feeling. Action-filled, romantic adventures with a happy ending, but, the sadness of this tale was nearly unbearable. A story of loneliness and redemption, after accepting death, as it never comes. The death of a respectable pirate never came. Only the self-hatred that comes from a false greeting from Death himself. I felt sad for him, a feeling I'd only felt once before for Hook. When I cut off his hand by accident, then throwing it to the alligator to save face. I regretted that. But the stub where his hand had vanished was gone and replaced with a fully capable hand. I wanted to apologize, he knows I did, but gave me a small smile when he caught me staring at the hand.

"So, Peter, upon telling you that story, do you have any questions?" He asks, closing his eyes briefly, as if shooing away a few tears. I shake my head, "Nothing except, these Judges- they are the forest deities, right?" He nods, smiling interestedly at me, "Now, Peter, tell me your story."

"But, Hook-" I try to argue but he interrupts me, "James." "James," I correct myself. "What story?" He laughs at this, "Those children aren't from England. They are from America, correct? Why did you end up there? And why is Tinkerbell nowhere to be seen? And, more importantly, what happened to Tiger-Lily? I haven't seen her in many moons."

I laugh at this, an empty laugh that seems to echo in my brain. "As you know, Wendy took the Lost Boys to Britain and moved in with her, except Slightly who moved in with her Aunt Millicent. Jane came many years later and left. No more boys have fallen from their prams, so no more Fallen Boys have resurfaced. Or Lost Girls to tell stories. I've been alone. After Jane married and had children, she told me to never go near her children, or future generations. She said I was a disgrace, and she wanted her children and future descendants to grow up practical. So, I started watching people in the states. Then I just was flying around one day, looking for an open window and I saw the twins. They didn't really tell stories, but the older brother played guitar and sang. Sometimes, I would listen."

He nods, understanding, and realizing he's still listening, I continue. "As for Tinkerbell, she is with her fellow fairy-kind. There is a war, you see, between the fairies and the faeries. Those faerie buggers are causing lot of trouble, more than usual, and causing problems. Tinkerbell is fighting with the fairies. We had an argument, I told her that if she left to never come back. She hasn't and won't. She hates me and made it clear she would never come back."

He stays silent, watching me intently, "Tiger-Lily is dead." I seem to blurt out, the unspoken 'how' lingers in the air. "One day, she took a walk around the island and went to the rocks. The home of the mermaids. She saw one of them and sat on the rock, thinking the girl was drowning. "Grab my hand!" she had yelled, and the mermaid did. Pulling her in, and drowning her, that is. The chief blames me for not saving her, as if I'm responsible for her. I'm no longer allowed to be within a hundred paces of the tribe." I take a deep breath, snuffing out my guilt and anger. "Now, what about your pirate crew, James?"

He looks into my eyes with a faraway look, as if I'm not even there. "After the Kraken incident, they thought me dead and sunk the ship. Being the idiots they are, they sunk themselves with it. I've been alone ever since." I smile, "If you like, you can move into the tree house. We have plenty of room. Plus, it seems Alanna sees you as a stray puppy that she absolutely has to take in." We share a laugh and he nods. "Okay, I'll be over tomorrow to settle in. I'll pack tonight." I nod. "Glad to have you back, James." he smiles, standing. We share a brief hug before he leaves.

I walk back to the house and the first thing I can think is, if someone said that Hook and I would become allies, I would have never stopped laughing. Now, I find it nice. Comforting. Some things will never change, but this change is one I'm happy about.

I climb into bed and shift until I'm comfortable in the bed. I never used to sleep, not until Wendy left. I needed some kind of distraction to fill the empty hours that I was alone for. Dreaming helped, sometimes. I'd dream of the mother I could never remember, her blurry silhouette harboring a smile. I'd beg her to come closer but she stood unmoving, until she eventually faded away and I awaken from my stupor.


	6. Chapter 5

_"All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again."_

* * *

_**Peter's POV**_

Words echoed in my head as I awoke from my nightmarish dreams. I dreamed they stood side-by-side, Jane and Wendy. "They will leave you" Wendy whispered with malice, her lip pulled into a snarl. "just like we did." Jane finished, her lips pulled into a smirk, her eyes taunting. "All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again." a small, perky voice said, cackling in a way only a female could. I knew, this was the voice of Tinkerbell.

I woke up, dripping in sweat, my hair wet against my forehead. I rolled quietly out of bed, landing onto the floor on my knees. I looked across the room. No movement. I crawled quietly across the floor, feeling the excitement of no one waking up. Of being silent. Stealthy. I crawled up the slide, needing a challenge, and went to the top until I reached the opening. I pushed open the hatch and jumped down onto the ground.

I needed a shower. I walk leisurely to the waterfall, the moon high in the sky, casting shadows on the surrounding terrain. Light escapes through the trees, lighting the way as the cleared path seems to lengthen. Arriving at the banks, a large rock sits, blending in nicely with the area. I flip it up and remove the soap bar and towel from the small hole under it. Tiger-Lily gave me the towel, to use when I needed it. Tiger-Lily taught me as well, telling me how to make my own soap from things in the forest and how to mend the towel if it tore.

These things, I were thankful for. I set the towel on the rock and took off my clothes. The night wind blew softly, bringing goosebumps to my skin. I got into the water and swam towards the waterfall. The water was warm, almost hot, but not enough to bother you. Another wonderful thing about this land: it's many contrasts.

When the air is hot, the water is cool; when the air is chilled, the waters are warm and comforting; when you make enemies, they turn out to be a wonderful ally; and with the land's tides pushing- people end up meeting- couples fall in love quickly, but take much longer to fall out of love. This land is under my reign, a perfect world where worries do not exist.

The waterfall beats heavily down on me, the water running down my back. I stand on a rock under the falls, adding the soap onto my body and hair. After the soap is covering me, I dive into the water, rubbing it off my skin quickly before resurfacing. I swim over to the towel and pull myself onto the bank, wrapping it around me. It covers my shoulders to my knees as I swing my feet in the water. I hear a rustling behind me and I turn around, shocked at the sound.

A small raccoon jumps out of the bushes and seems to smile at me before scurrying away. I laugh at the bandit and take off the towel from around me. Lone drops of water drop onto my shoulders, causing a small chill. I put on my clothes and use the towel to dry my hair. A bit of it is still wet, after I dry it, but at least it won't drip.

Walking back towards the house, the sun begins to rise slowly over the hills. I walk up through the trees and Asher is sitting on the cliff, where we watched the sunrise together yesterday. I float over and sit silently beside him. "Is this going to be an every morning thing?" I ask, smiling and he flinches, catching his breath. "God, you scared me." I tilt my head in confusion. "God?" He looks at me with a look of something like a cross between confusion and pity.

"If this place exists, there is no way a god can. You're the closest thing to God I've ever seen." He smiles at me, and I can't help but smile in return. "Why, thank you, Ashley." I say playfully. He smiles/gapes at me. "Com'ere, you!" he says with a laugh, knocking me over. He tickles me and I can't help but laugh, laughing too hard to push him off.

Once he stops, we both start laughing. He moves from sitting on me to laying on the ground beside me. "Hey, Peter?" he asks, turning onto his side to face me. I do the same. "Yeah?" He seems to mull it over for a minute, "How long have you been in Neverland?" I toss the question around in my head, "I'm not exactly sure, if I had to guess, since around 1890. Around a hundred years." His eyes soften, as if he was watching a candlelight die slowly before his eyes, "Were you lonely?"

I breathe in, closing my eyes as they mist over. I swallow the tears and open my eyes, smiling at him, "Of course, I was, but your sister is here, and so are you, Asher. It won't happen again, as long as I have you two, and Hoo- James- with me." He smiles and hugs me briefly as we stand up. Looking over, the sun has risen and smoke is coming from the Tribe, signalling the awakening of Neverland. "Let's go get James." Asher says with a smile and I nod as we fly over to the cave.

James is inside, grabbing a bag and he sees us, "Oh, why, hello boys." We bow with a flair in synchronization, that makes Hook laugh. "My, my. Off we go, shall we?" Asher and I pick James up from under his arms and fly him to the tree, Alanna is waiting with a smile. "What took you all so long?" Asher laughs as we lower Hook to the ground, "Traffic?" Alanna smirks, "In the sky? I don't think so."


	7. Chapter 6

_"I suppose it's like the ticking crocodile, isn't it? Time is chasing after all of us."_

* * *

_**Asher's POV**_

We continue inside as Alanna talks animatedly to James as he packs away his things. I look over at Peter and he smiles at me, motioning for us to leave them alone. We float up onto the ground outside and take a walk through the woods. "Your sister.. she likes James, doesn't she?" he asks, obviously trying to start a conversation. I nod, "Yeah, seems that way." We walk in a pleasant silence and Peter runs a hand through his hair, I can't help but feel my heart skip a beat. I smile at him and he smiles back, "I want to show you something." he says softly, even though we're alone.

I nod and he takes my hand, flying us away. Once we reach the river, I see a few boulders in the middle, causing a kind of channel for it. We each sit on a rock and dip our feet in. It's cool, which is weird considering it's a hot day. Oh. "The water, it-" I start and he nods, smiling sweetly. "Wow." I say under my breath. He gives me an impish grin and pushes me in the water. I fall in, pulling him with me.

We splash each other with water, laughing and I back him up against the rock, splashing water at him close-distanced. Suddenly, he gets water and something else in his eye, the sky darkens. Cold rain starts to beat down, thunder booming. A strike of lightning hits a foot away from us. "Peter!" I yell, he covers his eye muttering curses and I know he can't hear me. I wrap an arm around his waist and clamor us onto the shore, pulling us under a rock that hangs over us in a half-c shape.

"Peter, Peter, calm down." I console, "Let me look." He painfully opens his eye, it's red and bloodshot. I lean close to his face, blowing on his eye. He blinks a few times and puts his hands on my arms, pushing me away. I have an arm on each side of him, leaning over him as he's pressed against the back of the rock. "Peter." I say softly, and he looks at me with a scared expression.

Then, a thought occurs to me. How many times has Peter been hurt? How many times has he been hurt and he had to fend for himself? How many times was it his fault? And why does he have a mix of hurt and fear in his eyes when he looks at me? I want to see THAT Peter. Not the one who smiles all the time. I want to know the Peter that no one else sees. The REAL Peter Pan.

I lean back and sit on my haunches, looking at him. He calms down a little and scoots back into the rock, running his palm through the middle of his hair. His hair is completely off his face and I look, really look, at Peter. His eyes are deep-set, green, and has a soft curve to the end of his nose as it hooks down slightly, his bottom lip is full while the top is a perfect bow-shape. His features look serious when he isn't smiling. He is the epitome of his time, a beautiful but serious gent. He, no doubt, had many admirers of both genders.

He licks his lips nervously, and it seems to go in slow motion as I look up from them, into his eyes. His eyes exhibit fear and I realize it's the storm that scares him. "Are you alright?" I ask, sitting beside him. He shakes his head and I wrap an arm around him and he leans into my shoulder, hugging me tightly around my waist. "Don't worry, Peter, I'm here." The storm was stopping at a breakneck pace. "I will always be here, Peter." I whisper and the storm subsides, looking down at the boy. His face is buried into my neck and I can feel his warm, steady breathing on my neck.

I guess fear takes a lot out of you. I smile, laying down beside him. This is the Peter I wanted to see. The vulnerable, scared, emotional Peter. He acts like an adult more than he knows, he stays happy for others but not himself. I want him to the see the other side of me too, the protective, jealous, overbearing side. He proudly parades what I hide, and vice-versa.

Learning to breathe with Peter Pan at my side, becoming an inhabitant here... It'll take some getting used to. Unlike whoever was here before, though, I will make my time with Peter count. Every second will be for him. Every time I wake up, I'll be with him. Peter Pan's weak side needs to be protected, and there I'll be, standing by his side.

_**XxXx**_

The sun begins to set as I wake up, Peter still asleep in my arms. "Hey, Peter." I nudge him and he rubs his eyes, waking up slowly. "Hmm?" he asks, rubbing the heel of his palm against his eye, yawning. "My arm's asleep." he wakes up at this and sits up, blushing slightly. "Sorry." I smile, laughing a bit. "No problem."

We did not talk the entire way back to the tree. We just walked silently, our hands brushing each other occasionally as we walked. After a while, I grabbed his hand and intertwined our fingers. He gave me a questioning glance with a small smile hidden in it. I smiled at him, "I'm tired of you bumping my hand." He laughed, "If you wanted to hold my hand through the big, scary forest because you're scared, all you had to do was ask." I smile, looking at our hands as they swing in time as we walk. "Don't get a big ego, Mr. Hothead." He laughs, "Don't make me hit you." I smile, "Oh, try it. I dare you."


	8. Chapter 7

_"Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it."_

* * *

**_Hook's POV_**

I look over at the petite girl as she sits on her bed, braiding her hair. "James?" She asks, not looking up from her braids. "Yes?" I ask. She pauses for a minute, pensive, then starts braiding again. "Where is your family?" This makes my stomach drop, I never expected her to ask such a question. I was unprepared, and felt my stomach churn in response. "Is it a touchy subject?" She asks, looking at me. Or, rather, seemed to look through me- as if she knew it bothered me. "Yes. It is, actually. I don't have any. I was an orphan long before Neverland." She smiles sadly at me, walking across the room toward me. The world seems to move in slow motion.

Her bare feet stretch out slightly before every step, the pads of her toes touching ground before her heel. She seems to walk with an air of grace and beauty, a kind I'd only seen on royals or aristocrats in my younger years. The world seems to return to it's normal time as she sat beside me, hugging me around my neck from the side as she leaned awkwardly against my shoulder. "I'll be your family, James, we all will." she says softly, her head on my shoulder. I wrap one arm around her and hug her close to my side. "Thank you, Alanna." She smiles, burying her face in my neck, "Call me Anna." I smile, "Okay."

When the boys arrive home, Anna is brushing my hair with an old brush of mine; a woman's brush, my mother's. The boys are smiling as they sit on one bed, talking, oblivious to Anna and I. I feel Anna run her fingers through my hair, "We should wash it. Your hair." Then I think back. How long had it been? "Peter, can you fetch some soap please?" she asks intrusively, breaking the barrier between us and them. He nods, retrieving a small bar from the top of his dresser, tossing it underhanded to her; she catches it easily responding with a curt "thank you". "This one is for you two to share until I make new ones." I nod with Anna as she grabs my hand, leading me out. "We should leave the lovebirds alone." she says with a small smile after we reach the outside world, blanketed in the darkness of night.

I laugh, "Now what made you think they're in love?" She laughs, leading me to who knows where. I hear a waterfall in the distance, realizing we must be following the sound. "You mean besides the fact they were flirting? Besides the fact I've never, and I mean never, seen my brother so giddy? Besides the fact Peter wouldn't stop blushing? I know my twin better than I know myself." My eyes widen at this, she's not as ditzy and unobservant as I thought.

Once we get there, she rolls up her sleeves and tucks the end of her dress into her shorts, pulling her hair back into a ribbon. I watch awkwardly as the moonlight shines off her skin, making it look whiter than the moon in the sky. She smiles a bit, looking at me, "Come on, stop staring and take off your shirt, I don't want to get it wet." I notice her dipping her feet in the water and nod slowly, grabbing the hem with crossed arms, pulling the shirt over my head and setting it on a dry rock nearby. I suddenly feel self-conscious about the scars littering my chest. At the attempts at my life people have made. At my own attempts. I rub my arms, the air hitting my arms makes me a bit chilly.

Seeing I'm done, she moves onto a rock in the water, peeking a foot from the surface. Nearer to the bank is a rock about 6 inches from the surface, she motions me to sit on it. As I do, she dips my head carefully into the water. My hair feels lighter and I notice bits of mud fall from my hair. She lathers my hair with the soap and I feel her massaging my scalp with her fingers. "You have beautiful hair." she says wistfully, combing her fingers through it. "Yours is much more." I can feel the warmth of her smile from behind my back, "Let's get this soap out, then we're done."

She dips me back into the water again, running her fingers through my hair, getting all the soap out. After she finished she smiled at me, "It looks much better." I roll my eyes, smiling, "Why, thanks, dearie." She laughs, hugging me from the back, "You know I didn't mean it that way." I laugh, holding onto the arms wrapped around me. "I know." There is a silence, only the sound of the waterfall crashing behind us. "James?" she asks, her chin sitting on my shoulder. "Yeah?" I ask, a small wind blowing through the trees, creating a rustling sound. "I'm about to fall asleep, I'm kinda tired." I nod, "Hold on."

I feel her nod as I pull her onto my back, wrapping my arms under her knees. I put my shirt in her hands and she holds it close to her face, as not to drop it in case she falls asleep. Once we reach the treehouse, the boys are asleep in their consecutive beds. I lean backwards over her bed and pry her arms from around my neck. I try to pry the shirt from her hands but she's snuggled up with it and I don't want to wake her so I let her have it. I run my fingers through her bangs and move them from her eyes. She smiles with her eyes closed, leaning into my hand. I smile, kissing her forehead and crawling in bed. Once I start falling asleep I realize she may have been awake. Staring at the wall and smile, in fact, I hope she was awake. It's much easier than telling her I'm interested in her. I may even like her. Possibly love. I'm willing to risk it for her, she's worth it.


	9. Chapter 8

_"Some day,' said Smee, 'the clock will run down, and then he'll get you.' Hook wetted his dry lips, 'Aye,' he said, 'that's the fear that haunts me."_

* * *

**_Peter's POV_**

I woke up in my own bed, noticing Alanna clutching a man's shirt to her chest. _Probably James',_ I realize as I stretch and go up to the surface, hearing the calming melody of an acoustic guitar and soft words sung to the tune... _Asher..._

_**Hush my love now don't you cry**_

_**Everything will be all right**_

_**Close your eyes and drift in dream**_

_**Rest in peaceful sleep**_

_**Oh my love... in my arms tight**_

_**Every day you give me life**_

_**As I drift off to your world**_

_**Rest in peaceful sleep**_

I smile at the song, sitting beside Asher as he plays. He has a wonderful voice, one that puts sirens and mermaids to shame. I get out my pan flute and play along. It creates a mellow and harmonious sound. We both smile at the sound.

One he finishes the song, I set my pan flute beside his guitar as we lay down and stare at the stars above. I turn over and look at him, he's _perfect. Yet, he's here with me,** why?**_

My eyes wander from his long lashes to the sharpness of his jawline, taking in the way his eyes sparkle. The way his skin has white patches from filtered light through the trees. The softness of his hair. The smoothness of his skin. The perfect shape of his mouth, suddenly it pulls into a smile. The two studs below his bottom lip shifting. He licks his lips, his tongue piercing flashing in the light. _Man, is it so weird that I want to know what it feels like?_ To feel the softness of his lips, to feel the barbell in his tongue against mine-

He catches me staring and I blush as he scoots closer to me. Trying to break the silence, I point out a constellation. "The unicorn?" he asks quizzically after I tell him the name. "No, it's a Unicorn/Pegasus hybrid." He seems to let this sink in as he looks at me with a quirked brow, "So that constellation, you're telling me it's a Pegacorn?" The fact that he manages to keep a straight face while saying it makes me laugh so hard I roll around, laughing face down into the soft grass.

Putting one arm next to my right side, he hovers over me slightly. "Asher... what're you-?" I ask, turning onto my back. I could not respond before he pressed his lips to mine. I felt time seem to stop completely, and I think it did, under my control. I wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. As soon as that kiss was over, I couldn't help but smile. "Asher?" "Yeah." "Do that again?"

He smiled mischievously, a look that suited him wonderfully, "Anytime, Peter." He muttered a quiet, "I love you." before kissing me again. I smiled, doing this all the time sounded great to me. I kissed him slower this time, craving to remember this. I had the feeling I wouldn't have him by my side much longer. The thought made my stomach turn.

Pushing the thought into the back of my mind as he laid beside me, curled up around my back. "Asher?" I ask. "Yeah?" he responded with a smile. "I think I might too." I mutter softly. His smile brightens as he kisses the back of my neck. "Wonderful, that means I can kiss you whenever I damn-well please."

I laugh, "Within reason." "Reason is for quitters." I laugh, "Silly boy." "YOUR silly boy." he corrects, kissing the spot again. I nod, "That you are." Then I feel like a wire was slowly chopping into my gut.

He stops, looking at me worriedly, "Something's wrong, tell me what's bothering you." "Nothing's bothering me. Really." I lied, looking over at him. "Your eyes say otherwise." I let out a shaky sigh, "It's just... this won't last. Us. How could it?" His eyes narrowed and he stood, grabbing his guitar and going in the tree.

_What did I just do?_

* * *

_**Asher's POV**_

I burst into the one-room house and slam the hatch behind me, setting my guitar on my bed. "I'm up!" James yells, trying to seem like he'd been awake, but he obviously hadn't. Alanna wakes up and rubs her eyes with her fists sleepily, "What's wrong?" I couldn't believe what came out of my mouth, but it didn't make sense why until after it was said, "We're going back."

"Brother..." she warned, walking towards me slowly. Cooing as if I'm a rabid animal trying to be sedated. I must look pissed. "I can't leave, not now." she mumbles. "Why not?!" I yell at her, my conscience immediately regretting it when she starts tearing up.

"Because, stupid, we finally have a family now!" I watch James stand, shirtless, and all his wounds send a chill down my spine. "Go cool off, boy, and don't return until you're stable-minded." I leave briskly, heading into the woods and lay under the overhang, the one I slept under with Peter.

"Asher! Asher! I'm sorry! Why won't you answer?!" I hear Peter yell and I pull my hood over my head and cup my ears. I stare at the sun as it slowly begins to rise. _Maybe I can stay here awhile. Collect my thoughts. Think my emotions through. Then, maybe, I can make sense of things._

Tears start to run down my cheeks. _Bastard... stupid pixie-boy..._ I feel my body convulse with my silent sobs. _Maybe, the pain will go away. Maybe if I die here, alone, God will have mercy. Maybe he'd even let me see Dad again... but that's too much to hope for, I think._


	10. Chapter 9

"_When ladies used to come to me in dreams, I said, 'Pretty mother, pretty mother.' But when at last she really came, I shot her."_

* * *

_**Peter's POV**_

The dreams I used to have flitted through my mind. A tall, blonde woman with blue eyes and a doll-like face always appeared. I always called out to that mother and when she would go to embrace me, I would put a pistol to her head and pull the trigger. I loved her, I really did, but my insecurity pulled my finger back.

That reflected me at this moment. I wanted- craved, even- for Asher to like me. To pay attention to me. To want to be with me. Out of pure fear I pushed him away. _How could I be so stupid?!_ I called his name again, this time my throat was turning hoarse and my voice cracked between tears.

"Asher! Please! I'm sorry!" I couldn't hide the sobs in my voice anymore. Landing onto the beach, I sobbed on all-fours into the sand, curling my fingers through the sifting sand. T_his is all my fault! If I wasn't such a kid I'd be able to understand him more. Maybe I wouldn't have to feel this way._

I lay on a rock in the middle of the bay and stare into the clouded sky. I take notice of shapes in them and gives them names, in the back of my mind I wonder if it is a custom where he is from as well. _I couldn't be the first to think of it._

I plant my feet, knees bent, as I lay my head on my arms. My back is cold on the smooth, wet rock. Suddenly, I wonder about the Jolly Roger. Y_es, it had sunk, but maybe- just maybe- the treasure was still there._

If I found the treasure by myself I could prove to Asher that I'd do anything to make him happy. I'll find him something in the treasure too. _Like a necklace or a wristlet or maybe a ring or somesuch. It's worth a try. _

I dive under the water, fascinated by the underwater world I never noticed before. Small fairies floated around, guiding fish into their homes and watching over their eggs. They looked up at me in surprise and slowly smiled. Most creatures of Neverland fear me for my power over the land. They fear me and try to stay on my good side, I smiled awkwardly as a thank you.

They appeared blue by the tint of the water, their skin a pale blue that resembled the sky with sparkling shimmer weaved into their skin. Hair the color of periwinkle and tattoos of swirling white that concealed their chests and lower body. They were beautiful.

One of them floated to me and, with her minuscule hand, touched my fingertip reassuringly and looked into my eyes. Her eyes told me that she didn't fear me and that I should not be ashamed of my power. I smiled at her and ran a fingertip on her hair, petting her. She grinned and waved, going back to her friends.

Once she got over there, though, I forgot about the treasure. I see an old wise man among them and touch his temple, "Where can I find the Jolly Roger's treasure?" I asked mentally. He straightened and nodded, gesturing for me to follow. I did.

He first touched my neck, making an air bubble around my head so I could breathe. "Thanks," I smiled and he nodded in affirmation with a similar smile, leading me down into the underwater caves. I remember Smee once referring them to as the Pirate's Catacombs. I never knew why, until now. He stopped once we reached the opening, giving me a look that said, "I can go no further, be careful." and he glided away, gracefully swimming without a twitch of his limbs.

I took an unnecessary breath, the place was creepier than the death cave. The underground cove was filled with bones. Bones with prune-like flesh stretched tightly across the bones, bones that were fleshless, bones with clothes still hanging from them. I see the Jolly Roger at the very deepest point of the cavern, a hole in the ceiling the only thing providing light.

I swim deeper and deeper towards the ship wreckage. The first thing I notice is the open gash in the top of the deck, exposing James' old quarters. I swim down and inwardly beg that the treasure is still down here. Once I get inside, I see the room where he used to reside and I begin to understand him better.

Nothing personal resides in the room. Only blank walls and furniture with essentials. The only personal object in the room is a beautiful, black grand piano now covered with tons of coral and sea crud. I frown, sitting down and pressing a key. Bubbles emit, but no sound. I sigh. I start playing an old lullaby by memory, the bubbles continue in a rhythm until one of the keys don't press down all the way. I frown, hitting it repeatedly until the key brakes off. I take it and pull it off. The key is shaped funny when I realize... _The key is a KEY!_

I rush around looking for it then I stop. _Think like Hook... like James. He liked piano, he was grumpy, unemotional... if only he was here to help me._ Then I realize: _loneliness, the beauty of music, art... _I look around and see a small music note on the wall. _Maybe..._ I walk over and move the bed away, seeing a small chest under it. I open it with the key and see four rings, two of silver with a ruby setting and two rings of gold with an aquamarine setting. _They're perfect.. I'll give two to James as well._

Suddenly, though, I begin losing my breath. _I don't know why_. I try to swim to the surface. I manage to get out of the ship and into the main cavern when I realize my air bubble is shrinking. I'll only have so much time. I manage to get through the cave and into the main waters. I get halfway to the surface when the bubble pops, _I'm on my own._

I try to swim faster, exhausting myself in the process. "ASHER!" I yell desperately, screaming at the top of my lungs. Swallowing a mouthful of water, things start to go black. _Asher... help..._


	11. Chapter 10

_"To die would be an awfully big adventure."_

* * *

_**Asher's POV**_

I feel something tug at my heart when I hear him call my name one last time. "I'm right here." I said softly, looking for him in the sky. He was nowhere to be seen. I stand and begin walking around, searching the sky for him.

Maybe he went to the house to check. I hurry over, "Is he here?" I ask quickly. They shake their heads and I feel tears sting my eyes. _Damn it._I bolt away, running past the waterfall and past the grasslands.

Once I reach a cliff, I see a beach close by. _Maybe he's down there? _The closer I get, the more I realize he's been here. Footprints, indenting in the sand, then I see his handprints. He's definitely been here.

The footprints lead into the water, I notice. At this point, I start to worry. I dive in and open my eyes, looking around. Despite the fact it's a beach, the water is fresh with no salt. I hurry, swimming further out, as fast as I can. _Where is he?!_

_We need to talk, I really shouldn't have done that to him. _I swim faster when I notice a group of people only 6 inches tall. One of them, an older man with a long beard smiles and a bubble appears around my head. Air.

I thank him and swim away. "Peter!" I yell. "Peter!" I drag out, searching desperately. Then I see it.

A body floating downward into the water. I hurry and swim over. _Peter..._I pull him against my chest and swim back towards the shore. My bubble gets smaller and smaller but I press on.

I get a couple feet from the shore when my bubble disappears. _Damn it. Hold on, Peter. Hold on. _I try to conserve my breath and manage to make it to the shore. I collapse on the shore, Peter beside me.

I take heavy breaths and look over at Peter. His eyes are closed, his skin is pale, and his lips are blue. I hurriedly put a finger to his neck, no pulse. "Oh no..."

I hurriedly kneel beside him, preparing for CPR. I tilt his head back slightly and pinch his nose, "Please be okay..." I lean in and blow air in his lungs, his chest rising slightly. I do compressions then place my ear against his chest. Nothing.

God... DAMMIT! I put him in my arms and start flying to the grasslands. I'd seen some teepees set up so there must be a tribe there!

Once I get there I get angry stares aimed at Peter. I rush to the largest tent in the center and burst inside. I lay him on the ground bowing low to the chief, my forehead against the ground. "Please... save Peter." I hear a young boy translating for the chief when he mutters lowly, "Peter is a traitor, and you ask us to save him?"

I start to shake, crying as I look at the Chief, "I love him, more than my own life, I'd do anything. Just... please, save him." The chief's expression darkens as the boy relays the message. He mutters something while looking me right in the eye.

The boy looks shocked, saying something that sounds like "Are you sure?" then he looks at me. "He says he can, he will, but there's a price to pay."

* * *

_"Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting."_

* * *

"A price?" I ask slowly and he nods. Suddenly, I feel my heart sink. _What do they want in return? _The boy's eyes turn sad as he looks at me, "Yes, he wants you to find the lost princess Tiger Lily."

My mind goes blank, "Princess... Tiger Lily?" He nods, "Peter let her drown in the Mermaid Cove. That is his land, we cannot trespass but you must find her body and bring it here before we can help him. We will keep him into a comatose until you return but hurry, or it will become permanent." I nod, a grave look crossing my features. "In which direction is it?"

The boy leaves the tent with me and shows me where to go. I hear Peter cough from inside. "Is he okay now?" I ask. The boy smiles slightly, "Yes, we got him breathing again, but he is put under with a special toxin from roots nearby. You have 24 hours until the toxin kills him, so make haste." He enters the tent and I run, getting a head start and jump off the cliff, flying towards Mermaid's Cove.

_Now, how to convince the mermaids to bring her body to me..._ Once I land nearby, I see a small flower that Peter mentioned in passing on the way to the house. _**Never try to touch it with your bare hands, **__he told me, __**they'll inject poison in your blood and you'll surely die.**_I take a leaf and wrap it around the flower, holding the leaf.

I hurry over to the cove and beautiful, bare-breasted women with fishtails swim up to me. I smile as warmly as I can, "I have a present I can give you if you bring me the sunken body of a Miss Princess Tiger Lily." They smile to themselves, a shark-toothed grin, as they go underwater and return with the skeleton of a young woman. I frown,_ that must be her_.

I hand them the leaf concealing the flower. "It is a poisonous flower, but you may split it amongst you as a snack for aquatic creatures are immune." They smile evilly in thanks and dive underwater. I take the skeleton in my arms and cringe. _So light._ The bones rub and bump against each other, causing me to lose slight focus as I fly.

Once I reach the tent again I lay her body carefully on what I assume is a burial blanket. The chief smiles sadly, rubbing the bony forehead of the girl. The young boy smiles sadly at me when I realize something. He must be this woman's son... the poor kid. The chief pours something down Peter's throat and he jolts awake, sitting up.

"What happened?!" he asks in a startled tone, searching desperately around him. I hug him from behind, "It's alright, Peter, you're okay now." He leans into my back and looks at the chief, "Why? Why did you save me?" The boy is about to speak for the man when he holds up his hand in silence, "That man behind you, he cares for you, and in doing so brought back the princess. In return, we saved you."

I am shocked by the sheer gruffness of his voice, with a sad and fatherly edge to it._ I remember my father had a similar voice._ Peter smiles up at me, "I got you something." He pulls two rings from his pocket and puts one on my ring finger and the other in my hand. Two golden bands with aquamarine settings. I almost cry in happiness, putting the ring on his finger before holding his hand.

"I love you." he whispers with a smile and I smile, responding, "I love you too. More than you'll ever know." We fly, and by that I mean I carry his sleeping, weakened body, home and I lay him in bed when I look over and see a worried James and Alanna who sigh in relief when they see we're both okay.

I smile, handing their rings to James discreetly whispering, "A gift from Peter. Go take her on a walk." He nods, making an excuse for them to leave. I smile, laying beside Peter on the bed, sleeping beside him.


	12. Chapter 11 (END)

_"You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you."_

* * *

_**James' POV**_

I leave with her and we take a leisurely walk through the forest. I smile down at her, "You know, you're a very good person." she says with a grin, smiling up at me. I laugh, "Am I? I never really thought so, with all the things I've done."

"Not to sound cheesy or anything, but the past doesn't matter as long as you have a future to look forward to. That's what my father told me once." "Sounds like a wise man," I say in passing and her voice quiets, "He was."

We continue to walk while I twirl the rings around within my pocket. _Maybe it's too soon? I mean, I haven't even known her a week, but then again, I have all of eternity to get to know her, right?_ I smile to myself, sounds like something my mother would say. She was a wistful woman, caught up in her romantic fantasies, ones she never had with my father.

My heart sinks, I try to focus on Alanna. "You know, Alanna... I've grown quite fond if you over the past few days." She smiles, "You have?" I then realize she's confused, perhaps by the word fond. I try to rephrase.

"Alanna, what I'm trying to say is... I really like you. I like being around you. You're wonderful company." She smiles naturally, "I am? Hm, never thought I could be. Beside the point, though, I like you too. The age difference doesn't bother me all that much, to be honest, since age here is not an issue."

I wonder if she'd rehearsed the words before, because she never paused, or was she really that eloquent? The thought didn't bother me very long because we stopped at a cliff and sat down. "There are many cliffs here," I point out, "and they all overlook the sea, all but this one."

Her eyes light up as she stares, her eyes grazing over the field of flowers. Blues, purples, oranges, yellows and reds, so many beautiful flowers and herbs, plants and trees. I smile, scooting beside her. She sighs, leaning her head on my shoulder.

I wrap an arm slowly around her waist, securing her against my side. I turn my neck slightly and kiss her temple and she blushes, "James?" I smile,"Yeah?" "Kiss me." I almost choke while trying to swallow, "Was that a question?"

She runs her fingers through her hair, putting it behind her ears. In the moonlight her hair is the closest to white I'd ever seen. I remembered having a neighbor once who was albino. The though occurred to me of why she didn't like to leave the house during the daytime, not like I liked it anyway. I preferred the nighttime anyway. I realize she's thinking, pondering my question.

"No, it wasn't an order either. I just wanted to let you know I wanted you to kiss me, you don't have to nor will I force you I just wanted to point out-" I smile, "Hush." I put my hand on her cheek, making her look at me.

I kiss her briefly and she smiles. Slowly, I reach in my pocket. "This may be a bit... early but I want to get to know you. I want to be yours." I smile, hugging her around her waist. She is silent, calculating.

I pull the rings from my pocket and set them in her open palm and she rolled them over in her hand. She stares at them, watching them gleam in the moonlight. I watch her eyes as she stares at them sadly. "I'll give you time to think." I kiss her cheek and she sits still, unmoving.

I move down to the bottom of the hill and start picking flowers. Not very masculine, I admit, but I wanted to be able to keep an eye on her as well as give her space and this was the first thing I could think of.

Once I've picked an assortment of at least forty flowers cradled in my arm, I look up at her. Her feet dangle off the edge as she lays her back on the ground.

I smile as she slowly stares intently at the rotating ring. I walk up to her and she puts something in my hand. A ring. A silver ring with a crimson ruby. I notice one ring. One.

The other is on her finger as her pale face turns red, "Yes. I'd love to." I smile, kissing her nose, "Put my ring on for me?" She laughs, pushing me playfully, "Do it yourself."

Once I put in on, we walk back hand-in-hand to see the boy's sharing a bed. Peter cuddled into Asher's arms. I've never seen him so vulnerable but he'd probably say the same of me. They both brought out our true natures.

I laugh a little before crawling in bed, Alanna crawls in after me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I hear uneven breathing and realize the boy's aren't asleep. They're smiling, looking goofily into each others' eyes.

I pull Alanna against me, "Goodnight." She smiles, whispering to me, "Goodnight." I hear small giggles from the other bed and roll my eyes, falling asleep. Love makes you weird.

I admit that. Without it, though I would have never seen the world the way I do now. As more than a companionship, more than finding your other half, more than romance, it was about genuine care and respect for that person. For better or for worse, we'll all stick together.

No matter how annoying the other may become. Unfortunately, Peter isn't annoying anymore so the daytime is Alanna and I's private time while daytime is theirs, but we always hang out together at dusk until the sun sets completely.

Wow, I think I've been listening to Peter too much. Huh, never thought I'd ever admit that one. Oh well, welcome to my new life, I guess. Life with a real family.

* * *

_"To live will be an awfully big adventure."_


End file.
